Page 61 of Wicked Chains
Ollie nods, his eyes sympathetic. "Everyone saw. I was cleaning the windows in the east corridor."
Great. Just great. Even the cleaning staff witnessed my public shaming.
"I need information, Ollie," I say, getting straight to the point. "About Helena Wickersly. About Ash. About the Blood Moon Coven. Anything you might have heard or seen that could help me."
Ollie's eyes widen with alarm. "I don't know anything," he says quickly. "I just clean. I don't listen to their conversations."
"But you must hear things," I press. "People don't notice staff. They talk like you're not even there, right?" I lean in closer. "Ollie, please. They're using me. Draining my magic through this." I push up my sleeve to show him the blood mark. "I need to find a way to break free. If there's anything you've heard, anything at all, any small thing..."
Ollie stares at the mark. "I'm sorry, Miss Smith. I really am. But I don't know anything that would help you." He wrings his hands. "I just keep my head down and do my job. That's how I survive here."
I'd pinned too much hope on this long shot. "It's okay," I say, trying to hide my dejection. "I understand. It was worth a try."
I turn to leave, but Ollie's voice stops me.
"Wait." He hesitates, then continues in a rush. "There was one thing. Probably nothing important."
I spin back toward him. "What is it?"
"I was cleaning Headmistress Wickersly's office last week," he says. "She was on the phone, very angry."
"What did she say?" I prompt when he pauses.
Ollie frowns in concentration. "She was arguing with someone about her sister. She said that she knew her sister was plotting against her."
"Victoria? Yeah, that makes sense. Kind of an extreme sibling rivalry going on there, you know, with the coup and all."
Ollie shakes his head. "No, not Victoria. She called her..." He closes his eyes, straining to remember. "Jasmine. That was it. She said, 'Jasmine always was Father's favorite.'"
I blink in surprise. "Jasmine? Are you sure?"
"Positive," Ollie confirms.
"Helena has another sister?" I mutter, more to myself than to Ollie. "Why hasn't anyone mentioned her before?"
Ollie shrugs. "Like I said, probably nothing important."
But something tells me it might be very important indeed.
"Thank you, Ollie," I say sincerely. "This could be helpful."
His eyes dart nervously to the door. "My five minutes are up, Miss Smith. I need to get back."
"Of course." I step back, giving him space. "I appreciate you talking to me. Really."
"Be careful," he warns as he cracks open the closet door to check the hallway. "After what happened today."
Ollie slips out of the closet, returning to his mop without a backward glance. I count to thirty before following, heading in the opposite direction.
As I walk back toward my dorm, I’m lost in thought. Jasmine Wickersly. A third sister. Could she be an ally? The enemy of my enemy and all that. The Wickersly sisters must be ancient, given that Victoria had been headmistress for over a century.
Hank croaks in my pocket, reminding me of his presence.
"Yeah, I know," I tell him quietly. "It might be nothing."
I pick up my pace, eager to get back to my room where I can think in private. Maybe Drake will be there by now. Maybe he'll know something about this mysterious third Wickersly sister.
I don't know what I'm going to do with this new information yet. But at least now I have something. A potential crack in Helena's armor.
